Umm... my name is Dave Testa; I was kind of born with it.

Open mics generally for now;

Hmm.. pissed off Lars Ulrich... nah I think its great; especially now that people get paid for downloads, theres a lot of great free music to be heard to of unsigned bands etc.

More than likely; but I'd have to read it with a lawyer.

Started playing guitar at around 16, I've played trombone in band since elementary school up until the end at my senior year. I have been attending Finger Lakes Community College pursuing a degree in Music Recording Technolgy and have completed 2 years of Music Theory and Techniques of Audio Recording classes; as well as a bunch of the normal college B.S. My first real band was Breach an Alfred NY based hard rock band, and Voice To Protest temporarily, a really heavy metal band. My performance in school has been primarily in the Jazz and Funk range, and I have jammed with Blues, Jazz, and Funk band JaVine as well as Elemeno, and Doja; jamming mostly with
Lee MacCrea of Alfred NY, Breach, Brian Thibedau (Guitar, Vocals) of Elemeno, Shane Weckiser of Rochester NY Sublime Tribute Band: Badfish and JaVine, Tosh DellaPenna (Product of Hostility) Hornell NY, Scott Corey of (Elemeno) drummer and Nic Bucinell of Rochester based JaVine

My musical influences in no order...

Ken Maracek, Craig Snyder, Pink Floyd, Tool, Phish, The Allman Brothers Band, John Scofield, Javine, Elemeno, Doja, Liquid Tension Expirement, Miles Davis, Led Zeppelin, John Lee Hooker, Booker T and the MGs, Alice In Chains, Rage Against The Machine, Bob Dylan, Charlie Parker, Robert Johnson, Alan Holdsworth, Herbie Hanncock, Bob Marley, Muddy Waters, Eric Johnson, The Beatles, The Dire Straits, Metallica, Nirvana, Ludwig Von Beathoven, Mozart, Gustav Holst, Maynard Ferguson etc. etc...

Alfred NY: The Terra Cotta Coffee Shop or "The Jet"
Canandaigua NY: FLCC Recording studio; Cottage City

I use an Epiphone Riviera semi-hollow body guitar,
with Gibson 57' PAF reissue pickups; A Fender Stage 100 and a Zoom 606; I usually use whatever gear is available; and use the amp sim program "Amplitube" or "Guitar Rig" quite often laying down some stuff in the recording studio; If theres a guitar and amp around I'll play it.

Currently Interning at J.A. Castle Recording Studio Utica, NY.

I will post any bands I am in here.